Food condiment, composition, method of molding, and method of using

Abstract

A food condiment slice, method of using, composition and method for making, and methods for manufacturing are described. The food condiment slices are used with sandwiches, other food products, and beverages. The food condiment slices may have different structures such as face-fused, side-fused, face-fused-side-fused, woven, and chopped. The food condiment slices are formed from condiments such as catsup, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, steak sauce, jellies, jam, preserves, butter, margarine, marinades, creamers, and syrups. More than one food condiment can be integrated into a single food condiment slice. The food condiment slices eliminate the need and inconvenience of using and carrying spreadable, squeezable, and pourable food condiments. Also included are beverage condiment slices or discs such as coffee or tea dairy and non-dairy creamers.

I claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus for forming a condiment structure comprising:
 a) a lower mold section comprising a lower mold cavity, said lower mold cavity comprising at least one lower mold heating plate for heating and causing fusion of condiment material, and at least one lower mold insulation plate adjacent said at least one lower mold heating plate; 
 b) an upper mold section comprising an upper mold cavity, said upper mold cavity comprising at least one upper mold heating plate for heating and causing fusion of said condiment material, and at least one upper mold insulation plate adjacent said at least one upper mold heating plate; 
 c) said condiment material comprises a plurality of arranged abutting condiment sections; wherein abutting surfaces of said abutting condiment sections delineate a fusion line along said abutting surfaces, said fusion line aligned with said at least one heating plate of said lower mold cavity and said at least one heating plate of said upper mold cavity; 
 d) said lower mold section comprises one or more vacuum ports for attachment to a vacuum source for maintaining said condiment sections in said abutting arrangement. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said upper mold section is adapted to mate with said lower mold section. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein each of said at least one heating plate of said upper mold cavity and each said at least one heating plate of said lower mold cavity is capable of causing fusion along said fusion line between said abutting surfaces of said abutting condiment sections to form said condiment structure. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said at least one heating plate of said lower mold cavity and said at least one insulation plate of said lower mold cavity form the surface floor of said lower mold cavity; and said at least one heating plate of said upper mold cavity and said at least one insulation plate of said upper mold cavity form the surface floor of said upper mold cavity; 
 wherein, different portions of each of said condiment sections are in contact with said at least one upper mold insulation plate and said at least one upper mold heating plate; and, different portions of each of said condiment sections are in contact with said at least one lower mold insulation plate and said at least one lower mold heating plate. 
 
     
     
       5. An apparatus for forming a condiment structure comprising:
 a) a lower mold section comprising a lower mold cavity, said lower mold cavity comprising at least one lower mold heating plate for heating and causing fusion of condiment material, and at least one lower mold insulation plate adjacent said at least one lower mold heating plate; 
 b) an upper mold section comprising an upper mold cavity, said upper mold cavity comprising at least one upper mold heating plate for heating and causing fusion of said condiment material, and at least one upper mold insulation plate adjacent said at least one upper mold heating plate; 
 c) said upper mold section comprising peripheral cutting blades unitary with said upper mold section and extending from the underside surface of said upper mold section, said peripheral cutting blades configured for cutting said condiment material from one or more layers of said condiment material; 
 said peripheral cutting blades comprising inner and outer side surfaces terminating in a cutting edge; 
 said outer side surfaces of said peripheral cutting blades extending from the underside perimeter surface of said upper mold section and forming the lower terminal side walls of said upper mold section. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 ,
 wherein said upper mold section is adapted for transporting said cut condiment material and mating with said lower mold section. 
 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for forming a condiment structure comprising:
 a) a lower mold section comprising a lower mold cavity; said lower mold cavity comprising at least one lower mold heating plate for heating and causing fusion of abutting condiment material; 
 b) said lower mold section comprising at least one lower mold insulation plate adjacent said at least one lower mold heating plate; 
 c) an upper mold section comprising an upper mold cavity; 
 d) said upper mold section comprising peripheral cutting blades unitary with said upper mold and extending from the underside surface of said upper mold section, said peripheral cutting blades configured for cutting condiment material from one or more layers of condiment, wherein said peripheral cutting blades comprise inner and outer side surfaces terminating in a cutting edge; said outer side surfaces of said peripheral cutting blades extending from the underside perimeter surface of said upper mold section and forming the terminal side walls of said upper mold section, said inner side surfaces of said peripheral cutting blades extending angularly inward from said cutting edge; wherein said upper mold comprises a shaping cavity for accommodating and shaping said condiment material; said angularly extending inner side surfaces of said peripheral cutting blades terminating as compression/shaping surfaces at the underside peripheral perimeter surfaces of said upper mold section to form said shaping cavity; said compression/shaping surfaces configured for forming shaped peripheral edge portions to said condiment material to form said condiment structure. 
 
     
     
       8. A molding apparatus for cutting and shaping and forming a condiment structure comprising:
 a) a first mold section comprising peripheral cutting blades unitary with said first mold section and extending from the underside surface of said first mold section, said peripheral cutting blades configured for cutting said condiment material from one or more layers of condiment; wherein said peripheral cutting blades comprise inner and outer side surfaces terminating in a cutting edge; said outer side surfaces of said peripheral cutting blades extending from the underside perimeter surface of said first mold section and forming the terminal side walls of said first mold section, said inner side surfaces of said peripheral cutting blades extending angularly inward from said cutting edge; 
 b) a second mold section comprising a second mold cavity; said second mold cavity comprising at least one heating plate for heating and causing fusion of said condiment material; said second mold cavity comprising at least one meld insulation plate adjacent said meld at least one heating plate; 
 c) said one or more layers of condiment comprises condiment sheets of a single condiment material, or face-fused condiment sheets of one or more condiment materials, or side-fused condiment sheets of one or more condiment materials, or woven condiment sheets of one or more condiment materials, or side-fused-face-fused condiment sheets of one or more condiment materials, or chopped condiment sheets of one or more condiment materials, or edible bonding material sheets, or combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein said first mold section comprises a shaping cavity for accommodating and shaping said condiment material; said angularly extending inner side surfaces of said peripheral cutting blades terminating as compression/shaping surfaces at the underside peripheral perimeter surfaces of said first mold section to form said shaping cavity; said compression/shaping surfaces configured for forming shaped peripheral edge portions to said condiment material to form said condiment structure. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein said angularly extending inner side surfaces of said peripheral cutting blades define compression/shaping surfaces for forming peripheral edge portions to said condiment structure; 
 said compression/shaping surfaces terminating as inner cutting blades configured for partially cutting into said condiment material for delineating the innermost boundary of said peripheral edge portions of said condiment structure. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 9 ,
 wherein said peripheral cutting blades and said compression/shaping surfaces are configured for heating to assist in said cutting of said one or more layers of said condiment material and causing said condiment material to flow and reshape along and against said compression/shaping surfaces to form said condiment structure having said shaped peripheral edge portions. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 9 ,
 wherein said compression/shaping surface provides a decorative design, indicia, embossment, boarder, or crimping to said condiment structure. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 8 :
 wherein said first mold section comprises a first mold cavity, said first mold cavity comprising at least one heating plate and at least one insulation plate. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 6 ,
 wherein said upper mold section comprises one or more vacuum ports for application of a vacuum to maintain said cut condiment material against and within said upper mold section and assist in said transporting of said condiment material. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein said cutting blades are adapted for heating. 
 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 5 ,
 wherein said lower mold section comprises a blade trough for accommodating and sheathing said peripheral cutting blades of said upper mold section. 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the lower mold, and/or said upper mold, may be provided with a shaping surface to allow a decorative design, indicia, crimping, or border to be embossed or shaped into the periphery or other desired area of the condiment structure. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 5 :
 wherein said cutting blades are adapted for heating. 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 5 :
 wherein said lower mold comprises at least one vacuum port for application of a vacuum to said lower mold. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 7 ,
 wherein said compression/shaping surfaces are adapted for heating to allow said condiment material to flow and reshape along and against said shaping surfaces.